King Christian by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
King Christian strikes down enemies at sea, Nils Juel attacks beneath a blood-red flag, and Wessel brings terror to the North Sea. The speaker then addresses the waves as Denmark's path to fame, declares his willingness to face danger, and asks the sea to become his grave.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Patriotic Poetry, War Poetry, Ballad · 362 words
First lines
A National Song of Denmark
King Christian stood by the lofty mast / In mist and smoke; / His sword was hammering so fast, / Through Gothic helm and brain it passed; / Then sank each hostile hulk and mast, / In mist and smoke. / "Fly! " shouted they, "fly, he who can! / Who braves of Denmark's Christian / The stroke?"
What this Textopian page supports
King Christian is listed on Textopian as a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Patriotic Poetry, War Poetry, Ballad
- Length: 362 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for King Christian by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Genres
- Patriotic Poetry — Presented as a national song of Denmark, the verses celebrate Danish warriors and name the sea as the Dane's path to fame and might.
- War Poetry — The stanzas depict sword blows, sinking hostile ships, attacks under a battle flag, and enemies fleeing.
- Ballad — Rhymed stanzas recount naval combat through repeated refrains and shouted challenges.
Tags
Denmark · naval warfare · national song · courage · sea · death